This article is part of our DraftKings NBA series.
We have a four-game slate featured on DraftKings for Saturday. The Bucks facing the Magic for game three will tip things off, with the Lakers taking on the Trail Blazers to close out the night. Meanwhile, the Pacers and Rockets will look to put the pressure on their opponents by walking away with commanding 3-0 leads in their respective series.
Slate Overview
MIL (-12) vs. ORL, O/U 226
The winner here will look to take control of the series with a 2-1 lead. The two previous games have been somewhat lopsided, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Vucevic being the standouts for their respective teams, so far.
MIA (-5) vs. IND, O/U 214
The Heat can put the Pacers against the ropes with a victory today. Jimmy Butler has led the way for Miami, only leaving the court for five minutes total in both games combined. He will be relied on here again to do the heavy lifting a secure a 3-0 advantage over Indiana.
HOU (-2) vs. OKC, O/U 224
Like the Heat, the Rockets will be eager to get a win here and leave their opponent in win-or-go-home mode. Without Russell Westbrook, most expected James Harden to be the focal point of the offense, but overall, its been a collective team effort with players like Eric Gordon and Jeff Green stepping up to help carry some of the load.
LAL (-7) vs. POR, O/U 225
LeBron James took a backseat to teammate Anthony Davis in their Game 2 win. Both will need to be in top form today as they will try and carry that momentum into a 2-1 series lead over the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard and company I'm sure have other plans, however, and will hope to find that winning formula again that they had in their game one victory.
Positional Breakdown
G: The trio of Harden, Lillard and James come in as the spend-up options at guard with a midrange group featuring Chris Paul, Malcolm Brogdan and C.J. McCollum. The value choices seem a little thin with Eric Bledsoe being potentially the best of the bunch.
F: Giannis Antetokounmpo highlights the forward position with LeBron James and Anthony Davis also available. Jimmy Butler may be the best option, however, as he continues to come in under 8k for a player that is the focal point of his team's offense.
C: There are players with dual eligibility here, but Nikola Vucevic remains as the best true center option on the slate with back-to-back 50-plus fantasy point games to start the playoffs.
Injury Situations to Monitor
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), probable
LeBron James (groin) and Anthony Davis (knee), probable
Aaron Gordon (hamstring), questionable
This should be the best chance that Gordon has had to play so far. He is listed as questionable after missing the last six games. Gary Clark would continue to see an expanded role in his absence.
Jae Crowder (ankle), questionable
This is definitely one worth monitoring as his availability would open up some potential value if he can't go. He himself would also make for a nice play sitting at 4k and starting the last two games if he can suit up.
Elite Players
James Harden ($11,600) and Giannis Antetokounmpo ($11,000)
It's really a coin flip between these two as they both carry the most usage for their respective teams. From a fantasy perspective, Antetokounmpo has been slightly better, scoring nearly 60 fantasy points in both playoff games. He does, however, have a stronger supporting cast which could make Harden the more valuable piece to spend up for, as he will carry more of the offensive load without backcourt teammate Russell Westbrook still out for an undetermined amount of time.
LeBron James ($10,600)
James came back to earth after a 73-fantasy-point triple-double in Game 1 versus the Trail Blazers. He is always a great bet to bounce back after an underwhelming performance and should be in full attack mode as the Lakers look to jump out ahead in the series. He also comes in at a $1,000 discount from Harden with nearly the same upside. I like LeBron as a lower-rostered stud to pivot from the expected popularity of the two players listed above.
Expected Chalk
Jimmy Butler ($7,600)
He remains too cheap for a player that is the focal point of his team's offense. Flashing 50-fantasy-point upside before the season was shut down, Butler carried that into the bubble, scoring 35 or more fantasy points in five of the six games he played before the playoffs. He continues to log heavy minutes and will need to reach a ceiling type performance if he wants to put the Heat in position to close out the Pacers in four games.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($7,100)
He and backcourt teammate Chris Paul seem to alternate when it comes to fantasy production, with Paul scoring 51 fantasy points in Game 1 followed by Gilgeous-Alexander dropping 44.5 fantasy points in Game 2. Both average about the same on the season in terms of production, so taking the $700 discount with Gilgeous-Alexander can leave you with a little extra salary without sacrificing the upside.
Key Values
Jeff Green ($4,900)
Even though he is not starting, Green has seen over 30 minutes of court time in both playoff games. He dazzled in Game 1 with a 38.5 fantasy point display but struggled to replicate that in Game 2 despite playing 37 minutes. He should continue to see heavy minutes with Russell Westbrook out and gets the benefit of being on the court without James Harden, who absorbs most of the usage in the teams starting five.
James Ennis ($4,300)
Normally seeing around 30 minutes per game, Ennis has been solid in his starting role due to various players out with injury. Somewhat scoring dependent, he has shown the ability to get peripheral stats as well, grabbing 10 rebounds and adding two steals in Game 2 versus the Bucks. I think he continues to produce even if Aaron Gordon is able to return, and at $4,300, he should have an opportunity to return value as he did with his 31-fantasy-point performance in Game 1.
